


Do It Right

by realmSpinner



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Christmas, Fluff, M/M, Mistletoe, choppy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-26
Updated: 2012-11-26
Packaged: 2017-11-19 15:11:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/574666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/realmSpinner/pseuds/realmSpinner
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John is really fine with Karkat being his best friend.  But with so many people saying you two belong together, you waver.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Do It Right

**Author's Note:**

> NOTE: Okay this story has been sitting in my folder for A LONG TIME. It's technically "not finished" because I just didn't get to writing some parts, so it's choppy, but it does have an ending. Maybe I'll get to writing it completely out one of these days.
> 
> I REPEAT.
> 
> SOME PARTS ARE LIKE AN OUTLINE.

“You alright up there, Rose?” John Egbert called, craning his head to watch said blonde place a star at the very top of the tree. With a frown on her blackened lips, she looked down at him.

“You do realize this thing is too heavy for this tree? It keeps falling to the side,” Rose commented, desperately trying to find a way to right it. John shrugged.

“Doesn't really matter. Let it tilt,” John said, though he knew it was useless advice. Rose was a woman of decorative nature; things out of place got to her. Shifting his attention elsewhere, he nearly burst out laughing when he saw Dave pasting an Easter bunny on the inside of the front door. “You do know it's Christmas, right bro?”

“Irony at its best, Egbert,” Dave answered coolly. John could have sworn he saw Dave give a small nod of satisfaction before those shades turned his way. “Plus Jade likes bunnies.”

“Sap,” John threw back.

“No, the sap is sitting over there bawling his eyes out,” Dave replied, nodding his head toward the television set. Karkat and Jade were sitting on the floor in front of the flashing screen, Jade rubbing his back as red-stained tears streamed down the troll's face. John sighed, shaking his head. Karkat and romantic movies... “You should take this chance and slide right over in Jade's place.”

John threw Dave a sour look.

“For the last time, he's my best bro,” John said dryly.

“I'm hurt,” Dave replied.

“Ugh, you're my best bro too! You know what I mean,” John rolled his eyes.

“Two different kinds of best bros there, dude. Unless you want to bang me too. If that's the case, let's get this out on the table right now so no feelings get hurt.”

“I do not want to 'bang' Karkat,” John sighed, pointedly walking away from Dave and grabbing the remote from the couch. He aimed it at the television screen and watched it flicker to blackness. Karkat tensed and whipped around to glare at him.

“What the fuck, Egbert?!” Karkat yelled, cheeks still wet.

“I say we get dinner started because I'm starving!” John said loudly, throwing the remote back on the couch.

“I am for that!” Jade exclaimed brightly, hopping up from her position on the floor. Karkat continued to glare.

“It was in the middle of a good part too,” Karkat grumbled.

“You've seen that movie a million times.”

“Because it's a damn good movie! Your underdeveloped thinkpan cannot even begin to process the beauty of their love. It was written in the stares, meant to be at first sight!”

“Yeah, yeah. Throw some of that passion into making mashed potatoes,” John said, making his way into the kitchen.

“John Egbert, one day I am going to get swept off my feet and you're going to watch me from a house full of cats,” Karkat seethed, making John laugh.

“Dude I don't even care for cats.”

“Speaking of cats,” Dave piped in, “Is Rose getting a freebie on dinner?”

“She's still trying to make that star straight!?” John chuckled. Leaving Rose to her own devices, they set on preparing dinner. John kept sneaking glances at Karkat as he peeled potatoes, grinning at the pout on his face.

He didn't notice Jade and Dave glancing at them and then each other, knowingly.

-

John Egbert could feel the rough bark on his back even through layers of clothing as he leaned against a tree and wriggled his chilled fingers inside his jacket sleeves. He watched silently, contemplatively, as Karkat Vantas hefted the tire swing to one side, the snow crunching softly beneath every step, before shooting forward and leaping off the ground, climbing on the tire. The force of Karkat's leap shook the branches above them, and John's eyes squinted into the misty snow that fell. 

It was late, bordering one in the morning. Inside, Dave, Rose, and Jade slept peacefully, worn out after a Christmas party that had them decorating and cooking and singing and bickering and all the little things that made John thankful he had such a great group of friends in the first place.

The mistletoe had been for Dave. Dave had been dancing around Jade for months now and John, being the great guy that he was, was going to make sure the two finally got together. After all, who was better than his best bro for his sister?

He should have never let Rose get her paws on it.

Not Rose.

Not the woman who had been psychoanalyzing him only to state over and over that he should give Karkat a chance. Karkat was his palhoncho, his buddy, his friend. Karkat was one of the only trolls who stuck close to him after Sburb, the others scattering to begin their new lives.

And John Egbert knew he was not a homosexual.

And then Rose went and snuck the mistletoe above them.

Karkat had immediately went into a rant about stupid human customs, and John watched him. There had been no embarrassment on the troll's face. Of course there wasn't. That was five years ago; Karkat no longer harbored any feelings for him.

But according to those 'stupid human customs', they had to kiss.

It was short. It was nothing special. Troll's lips had more of a wax-like quality about them, but he'd known that already. Vriska hadn't lasted long, but she was still dear to him.

But that short instance is all one needs to have weird thoughts enter your mind, especially with Rose, Jade, AND Dave shooting you little secret smiles for the rest of the night. He didn't understand it. He didn't think he was closer to Karkat than, say, Dave, but the others made it sound like they were already going out. Sure, they had plenty of moments where they said the same thing at the same time or finished each others' thoughts or spent an entire day together just lounging around enjoying each others' company, but considering what they'd all been through, shouldn't that be normal?

-

“Hey Karkat?” John asked, white puffs of breath leaving his lips. The other male had to twist his neck around to look, black bangs swaying back and forth from the force of the swing.

“Hm?” Karkat answered, slumping against the rope. The hypnotic back and forth motion was surely making him sleepy. Dubbing the tire swing slow enough, John stepped forward and began to pap the swing, slowing it even further.

“I've been thinking...” John trailed off, reaching out to grab the rope to stop the thing for good.

“There's an accomplishment,” Karkat snorted, though his full attention was on the blue-eyed boy. Finally catching hold of the rope, the tire swing stopped, and for once, Karkat found himself looking down at the taller boy. John stepped forward, slipping his arms around the sides of the tire and Karkat's legs.

“I've been thinking about what everyone's been saying lately,” John answered, looking up and absentmindedly digging his toe into the snow. Karkat, never removing his gaze, rested his cheek on the rope.

“... and? I came out here to swing, you know,” Karkat answered. John rolled his eyes.

“Did you ever think maybe they have a point?” John continued to push, cocking his head to the side. “We are pretty close... why don't we just try this dating thing?”

Nothing changed on Karkat's expression for the longest time. They gazed at each other, searching, gauging for a reaction. Karkat finally broke the moment, slipping his eyes shut and sighing, slumping his shoulders for good measure.

“... this isn't romantic at all,” Karkat sighed, tilting his head back with a look of exasperation. John's eyebrows knotted in confusion.

“What?”

“Love at first sight, sweeping me off my feet, my entire spiel?” Karkat asked, waving his hand in the air. He righted his head and stared at John expectantly. John scowled.

“Dude, you can't tell me you were serious. That is both lame AND never gonna happen in real life,” John insisted, letting go of the tire swing. He knew Karkat was a helpless romantic but... he felt somewhat cheated. That 'love at first sight' and 'unconditional love' stuff was a bunch of bullshit made for the movies. Sure, John even enjoyed some himself, look at that brilliant moment when Cameron Poe made it back to his wife and child! But there were limits!

“Fuck you, you're lame,” Karkat clipped, throwing an accusing finger right along with it, “And I feel sorry for you; don't have a single romantic bone in your body.”

This was seriously happening. Karkat wasn't even considering him because he wasn't 'romantic'. John chewed the inside of his cheek, thinking, and smirked when a thought came to him.

Without further ado, John walked behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist, tugging him off the tire swing. 

“Hey- wha- let go!” Karkat struggled, kicking his feet in tantrum as the tire swing slipped from beneath him. John laughed in his ear, twirling him 'round and 'round.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Karkat shouted into the night air, tightening his hold on the arms holding him captive. John hoped the bellow didn't wake anyone up.

“Heh heh, sweeping you off your feet!” John claimed, coming to a stop and letting Karkat's feet touch the ground before he let go. The troll spun around to face him in a sort of frenzied uncertainty. “My way, of course.”

John grinned as Karkat's eyebrows furrowed.

“... biggest idiot award. It is you,” Karkat finally replied, reaching a hand up to flick John in the forehead. John inwardly sighed, realizing this was going nowhere. He felt silly for even bringing it up.

“Hahaha! Alright, alright, I get it,” John laughed, shaking his head and crossing his arms tightly to his body. “Brrr it's getting cold out here. Wanna go in and get some hot cocoa?”

John backed up a step, seeing Karkat still staring at him from the corner of his eye before he passed him, making his way back to the house.

“That's the best idea you've had all night,” Karkat spoke, and John could hear the snow crunching behind him, a sure sign Karkat was following.

John wasn't sure what he felt about the whole exchange. A little bitter about how Karkat didn't even seem to consider it, maybe, but could you be disappointed when you're just as fine being bros? 

Casting the thought to the side, John reveled in the heat of the house, and quietly discarded outer clothing with Karkat at the front door before trekking into the kitchen and grabbing packs of hot cocoa.

“Going to bed right after?” Karkat asked as John heated the milk.

“Why? Want to watch some tv?” John responded.

“I don't need you to watch tv.”

“Yeah, but it's a lot better having someone to make fun of the commercials with, right? You know you'd go to bed if I wasn't staying up.”

“...”

A couple minutes later, the two boys settled down on the couch with cups of steaming cocoa and a television on low.

“Ow, fuck, this cocoa is like molten lava,” Karkat complained after burning his tongue on a sip.

“Dumbass,” John chuckled, cautiously blowing on his own liquid and pointedly ignoring Karkat's answering glare.

-

Ends up with John tickling Karkat. John knocks the remote control off the arm of the couch and gets down to get it. Decides to be a prankster and act like he hits his head, says it's bleeding.

“Bleeding? Let me see.”

John attacks Karkat with another tickle attack. Thrashing, Karkat hits the table, and a piece of mistletoe falls down between them. They stare at it and John starts laughing.

“We were technically under the mistletoe!”

“We don't even need our friends here to put us in situations like this, do we?” Karkat suddenly pushes him. “I can't believe you made me worry about you.”

John lays back and muffles his laughter. Karkat stares and kinda rolls over him, holding the mistletoe.

“I don't know... maybe this is kind of like Serendipity.”

“What?”

“Three accidental kisses... getting mistaken for a couple a thousand times... like maybe how Jonathon and Sara keep meeting, we keep getting caught up in these situations...”

John laughs.

“You are the sappiest person that has ever lived.”

Karkat glares.

“... can I kiss you?”

“Why, so you can see if you feel fireworks?”

Karkat's blush makes John go into hysterics.

“It may have crossed my mind, now shut up.”

“Okay, okay. Kiss away.”

“... stop smiling. … damn it John, forget it.”

John is still laughing as Karkat gets off him.

“Noooo, come back Karkat!”

John goes to the bathroom door where Karkat disappeared.

“Karkaaaat? Sweetie? Dumpling? Pumpkin~?”

“Are you on drugs?!”

“I'll get louder. I wonder what Dave will say? Sugarplum~!”

Karkat rips the door open, turning off the light and trying to exit.

“You are something else-”

John sidesteps him and pulls him back in, shutting the door and pushing Karkat against the door in the dark. He brings his hand up to Karkat's cheek and kisses him. He was kissing his best friend and.. sorta liking it! A lot!

“... fuck you for being a good kisser.”

“Heh heh.. so.. about my question? Yes? No? Maybe?”

“... I don't know yet. Kiss me again.”

“Was I that good? Hey, should I like.. dip you? Would that be romantic?”

“Just. Kiss. Me.”

So John does.


End file.
